Chlamydiae are intracellular bacterial pathogens that are responsible for a wide variety of important human and animal infections. Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted diseases and can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), resulting in tubal obstruction and infertility. Chlamydia trachomatis may also play a role in male infertility. In 1990, the cost of treating PID in the U.S. was estimated to be $4 billion. Trachoma, due to ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Chlamydia pneumonia is a major cause of acute respiratory tract infections in humans and is also believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and, in particular, coronary heart disease. Individuals with a high titer of antibodies to Chlamydia pneumonia have been shown to be at least twice as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease as seronegative individuals. Chlamydial infections thus constitute a significant health problem both in the U.S. and worldwide.
Chlamydial infection is often asymptomatic. For example, by the time a woman seeks medical attention for PID, irreversible damage may have already occurred resulting in infertility. There thus remains a need in the art for improved vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions for the prevention and treatment of Chlamydia infections. The present invention fulfills this need and further provides other related advantages.